Vetus BOW Thrusters 300 mm BOW22024D, BOW28548(D) — Installation & User Manual

Technical Data

Tunnel: steel O.D. 320 mm, wall 7,5 mm; GRP and aluminium I.D. 300 mm, wall 10 mm. Control circuit: ATO blade fuse 5 A.

Battery Capacity, Cables and Fuse

• Lengths are the total of plus and minus cable. Older BOW28548: 95 mm2 (AWG 000) for 0 - 46 m (0 - 151 ft).
• BOW28548D on a 24 Volt network: the wiring diagram uses a 24 - 48 V series-parallel switch (BP3008) with two 24 Volt battery banks, a battery isolator for the 24 Volt loads, 355 A main fuse, 95 mm2 main cables and 16 mm2 charging wires.

Tunnel Position and Hull Connection

• Place the tunnel as far forward as possible; the propeller preferably on the centreline but always reachable from outside. Never let the tailpiece protrude from the tunnel end.
• Motor in various positions: support it if horizontal or angled, and keep it well clear of the maximum bilge water level.
• Do not fit 2 bow thrusters in one tunnel: it does not double the thrust. Tandem thrusters suit larger boats; on a planing boat keep the tunnel above the waterline when planing if possible.
• Grid bars only when strictly necessary: rectangular section, never round, perpendicular to the expected waveform, overlapping, no more than shown.
• No copper-based antifouling; the zinc anode is a must. On steel or aluminium tunnels insulate the bolts and shaft (e.g. nylon bushes); the gaskets are already insulating.
• GRP tunnel: roughen down to the glass fibre, laminate with isophtalic polyester resin (Norpol Pl 2857), seal sawn ends with resin; wet side in epoxy or 2-component polyurethane paint, then antifouling.

The drill pattern for the intermediate flange is printed at scale 1:1 in the PDF: print at 100%, check the dimensions and centre it exactly on the tunnel centreline.

Use, Maintenance and Troubleshooting

• Watch for swimmers and small boats near the tunnel openings. Never run the thruster without load; stop it at once if it gives no thrust.
• Never switch from starboard to port (or back) in one movement: wait until the propeller stops. With 2 panels, never operate from both at once.
• Running time is limited by motor heating (see the rating); let the motor cool after use. Much larger batteries with very short, heavy cables raise the thrust, so shorten the running time.
• Switch off the main switch when leaving the ship. The carbon brushes release fine black dust: keep fragile equipment away.

• Older BOW28548: check the carbon brushes yearly (every two months with very intensive use); set of 8 brushes SET0132 (motor EC17,5/4,8/24). Check the oil level in the tank regularly; change the oil at least every two to four years (250 ml, BPEP90): remove filler cap and drain plug, drain, refill until oil runs out of the drain, refit the plug, top up.
• Older BOW28548 at slipway service: renew the zinc anode BP1052 if needed; remove propeller, key and V-ring, clean the shaft, grease the V-ring running surface and fit a new V-ring (BP1055).